Infantino apologises to Fifa Council - but told he's still not fit to lead
Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt questions Infantino's fitness to lead following failed World Cup sell-off plan
Quick Look
- Fifa President Gianni Infantino apologized to the Fifa Council for a scrapped secret commercial rights proposal.
- FA chair Debbie Hewitt demanded full transparency, stating Infantino is unfit to lead if he fails to provide requested documents and answers.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Infantino proposed the secret Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) to sell commercial rights to a private firm. The proposal was subsequently scrapped following internal opposition.
President Gianni Infantino has apologised to the Fifa Council for his World Cup sell-off plan - but has been told he is not fit to lead unless he releases all of the documents and answers key questions.
The Fifa Council met in Zurich on Thursday for the first time since Infantino's secret Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal - which would have handed a portion of the organisation's commercial rights to a private investment firm - emerged and was scrapped.
Infantino also faced further questions about Folarin Balogun's suspended red-card ban, the Fifa Peace Prize and funding for national associations in the three-and-a-half-hour meeting.
Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt - a Fifa vice-president - said afterwards that many questions remained unanswered.
"One of the disappointing things is that we didn't get answers to anything that we had specifically requested - for example getting the papers from FFE," Hewitt said.
"I asked the question 'why not?' - and we were asked to submit those questions in writing.
"I think the man has to answer those questions and if he doesn't answer those questions now, he's not fit to be Fifa president - and that was what was shared in the meeting.
"Infantino said in his apology... what he really apologised for was not bringing it to the council.
"If you regret it that deeply, share it with us."
Asked if there was any change in stance from Uefa about Infantino, she added: "From my position, nothing has shifted.
"I've no new information that makes me feel any differently, other than we do have a president who is apologetic."
Open Questions
- Will Infantino release the FFE documents?
- What are the details of the Folarin Balogun red-card case?
